sawyer



April 24, 1928. 1,667,131

F. sAwYER ANNUNCIATOR FOR TAXIMETERS Filed Oct. l2, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l Y :I l

wmfww April 24, 1928.

F. SAWYER ANNUNCIATOR FOR TAXIMETERS Filed 0G17. l2, 1925 u@ if 44 /f if 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented pr. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATE-s PATIENT OFFICE,

FRANK SAWYER, OF BOSTON,IMAsSAOHSETTs,AssrGNoRrro oni/IRR RARE REGISTER COMPANY, or DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK,

ANNUNC'ATOR FOR TAXMTERS.

, Appneatiun flied october' 12, 1923.A serial Nu. 668,1e4.

The object of this inventionis to provide, as an adjunct of a taximeter, an annunciator adapted to conspicuously show to a person outside' the vehicle in which the meter is installed, a number of passengers registered by the usual mechanism operated by the driver, so that the observer, who may be an inspector, will be enabled by 'comparing the rearing of the annunciator with the number of passengers seen in the vehicle, to ascertain if the driver has correctly registered the number of passengers.

I attain this object by the construction hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an annunciator embodying the invention, applied to a tarimeter.

Figure 2 is a perspective view, showing the taximeter and annunciator installed in a vehicle.

Figure 3 is a front elevation showing the signal-operating mechanism on a larger scale.

Figure l is an edge view of the mechanism shown by Figure 3,

Figure '5 is an end View of the mechanism shown by Figures 2 and 3.

Figure (3 is a section on line 6 6 of Figure 3.

Figure T ure `3. l

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic View, showing the circuit connections.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

l have shown the annunciator of my invention applied to a taxinieter of well lnown construction, including a flag shaft L carrying a flag-shaped arm Z), which is in a raised position when the vehicle is unoccupied, and is swung downward after the occupancy of the vehicle,` to turn the Hagshaft and render the mechanism' of the taximeter operative, so that the amount due at the end of the trip is indicated by a register at c (Figure 1). The movement of the flag-shaft causes the register' at d (Figure 1), to indicate the presence of one passenger'.

Ther tafrimeter includes a' manually operable registering member which, in' this inis a section on line 7-7 of Figstance, is a shaft c adapted to be rotated by the driver, each rotation of the registering shaft causing the register' at cZ to indicate the presence of another passenger. If there are live passengers, it is the duty of the driver to turn the registering shaft c four times, so that a total of five passengers is registered.

The vannunciator is operable by successive rotations of the registering shaft to indicate at an exposed point on the vehicle the number of movements of the lregistering shaft made by the driver in registering the number of passengers, so that an inspector looking at a passing taAicabv equipped with the annunciator, is enabled by comparing the annunciator with the number of passengers seen by him in the vehicle, to ascertain whether the driver has properly operated the registering shaft or not.

The indicator 13 includes a plurality of visible signals, which, in this instance, are incandescent electric lamps 12, enclosed in a casing, which is suitably supported on the vehicle. The casing is here shown' as supported by a tub'e 14, fixed at its lower end to the casing ofy the meter, and at its upper end to the indicator 13, the arrangement being such that the annunciator may be plainly seen by an inspector outside the vehicle.

rIlhe lamps 12 are connected in parallel, so that they may besuccessively lighted, as hereinafter described, the order in which the lamps, after the first of the series, are lighted, being indicated by exponents, as a, in c, df accompanying the reference numerals 1Q), in Figures l and 8.

I provide means operable by the movements of the registering shaft or member e to render the annunciator signals successively active, so that the number of passengers registered by the ldriver may be indicated to an inspector outside the vehicle' and compared with the number seen in the vehicle'.

In the preferred embodiment of the inventionv here shown', the signals or lamps 12 aire connected by the Wiring shown diagrammatical'ly by Figure' 8, with a sourcev 15 of electrical energy, andY with a series'of contacts v16, mounted' in fixed holder 17, of insiilating material. The contacts 16 are in the path' o'f an elongated sliding circuit closer 18 of conducting material, so guided that it is adapted to electrically connect two or any other number of contacts 16, and thus render one or any other number of signals active. When the circuit closer 18`is in the position shown by full lines in Figure 8, the lirst signal 12 is active, and when the circuit closer is moved to the dotted line position, all ot the signals are active.

T he circuit closer 1S is moved step-by-step,

to cause it to cooperate, as described, with the contacts 16, by connections between the circuit closer and the registering shaft inem- -bere .Y

The meter here shown includes a cam f, (Figs. 3 and. l) which is rotated by the rotation o'i theregistering shalt e through connections between the sha-tt and cam, such as the intermeshing gears f', f2 shown by dotted lines in .Figure '-1, one ot said gears being fried to the shaft, and the other to the cam, so that .the cam turns in unison with the shatt, and is an element ot the usual mechanism of the-meter.v Other element-s of said mechanism are a rocker-arm g, supported by the cam, as shown by Figure 4L, and vertically `oscillated by the. rotation of the cam. Said rocker-arm is pivoted at 7L and is provided at its tree end with a pin or stud z', which is raised and loweredcwhen the cani is rotated.

It is unnecessary Ato describe the function of the mechanism which includes the parts g and 7L, further than to state that the part or cam i is an element which imparts, through the means next described, a step-bystep movement to the circuit closer 18, when the registering shatt e and the cam f are rotated by the driver.

. The circuit closer 18 is slidable in guides 19 (Figure 7) on a lined holder 21, and is provided Vwith a series of notches 22 (Figure 3) A pawl 23 (Figures Sand 7) is actuated by a spring 26 to vengage either notch, when the pawl is reciprocatedV by connections between it andthe cam z'. Said connections include alever 27 (Figure a) pivoted at 28 to the holder 21, a link 29 connectingone end of thelever with the stud z', and an elongated rslide 30, vertically movable on the holder 21, and provided with aV pin 32, engaged with a slot 33 in the lever 2?.' The pawl 23 is pivoted at 34 to a block 35, which :is fixed to the slide 30. The lever 27, oscillated by the cam f and rocker-arm g, alternately depresses the slide 30, and permits it` to be raised by a spring 36, so that the pawl 23 is vertically reciprocated. When the pawl rises, it slips on the circuit closer 18 from one notch 22 to the next.v higher notch, and when the pawl descends,.its engagement with a notch 22 causes it to movethe circuit closer downward one step.

To permit the circuit closer .to be restored to its initial position I lprovvide means for moving the pawl slightly out-ward during raised.

the upward movement of the Circuit closer so that the pawl will not interfere with such upward movement. Extending behind the pawl is an elongated bar 38 the ends of which are connected by links` 39 with blocks 40 secharged. I utilize the member .7'. to impart sidewise movement to the bar 38, thus causing the bar to engage the pawl and move the same outwardly, thereby releasing the circuit closer and permitting the same to be Cooperating with the member is a curved lever L11 pivoted at 42 to ears carried by th-e holder 21. VOne arm of thelever enters a slot 43 (Fig. 3) in the bar 38 and is forced against the lower Vend of the bar by the upward movement of the member y', thus moving the bar andthe pawl outward and releasing the circuit closer. A spring 44, (Fig. 3 normally urges the bar 38 into the full line position shown in Fig. 6.

In operation, the parts are inthe position shown in -1 when the taxicab is hired. rPhe operator rotates the flag l) ninety de-l grees so that the meter mechanism including the extras knob c may be operated. It there is onlyone lpassenger the extras knob e is not rotated but it isactuated one revolution tor each extra passenger carried. Each time that the extras knob e is rotated the cam f is rotated and causes reciprocatory movement to be imparted to the slide 30 by means of the rockerarm g, link 29, vlever 27 and the pin and slot connection 32--33, the pin serving asV the means to lower theslide 30 and the spring 36 serving as a means to elevate the same. As the slide 30 moves downward the pawl 23 engages one of the notches 22 in the circuit closer 18 andlowers the circuit closer a distance equal to the lspace between two notches. The spring contacts 16 have resilient contact withthe circuit closer 18 and resist any tendency of the circuit closer to move upward with thefpawl when the latter is retracted. Then the end of the journey is reached the driver moves the flag Z) to its lowermost position in which it willhang straight downward or one hundred and eighty degrees from the position shown in Fig. 1. This is necessary so that the printing crank shown at the extreme lett of Fig. 1 may be actuated. Then the printing crank is actuated the sliding member y' is moved upwardlyrnntil `it strikes the lever all, thus movingthe lbarv 38 into the dotted line position shown in Fig'. 6, the-bar being moved outwardly by means of the, links 39, and thereby moving the paivl 23 out of engagement With the notches 22 on the circuit closer 18. As the member j continues to move upwardly the upper end thereof strikes against the pin carried by the circuit closer 18 and elevates the circuit closer into the position shown in Fig. The sliding member j now descends leaving the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3.

I claim:

I. In combination, a taXimeter which includes a manually movable registering` meniber, operable by a driver to register the number ot passengers on board on a given trip; an annunciator including a plurality ot normally inactive signals corresponding in number to the number ot passenger seats in a vehicle, and means operable by the movements of said registering` member to render said signals successively active, the arrangement being such that the number ol passengers registered by the driver may be indicated to an inspector outside the vehicle, and compared with the number seen in the vehicle.

2. In combination, a taXimeter which includes a manually movable member operable by a diivei' to register the number of passengers on board on a given trip; an aniiunciator including a plurality of normally inactive electric lamps corresponding in number to the number of passenger seats in a vehicle, a series of fixed contacts in circuit With said lamps, a movable circuit closer adapted to cooperate ivith said contacts in closing the circuit through any number ot said lamps, and connections between said registering member and said circuit closer adapted to move the latter step-by-step.

8. In combination, a taxiineter ivhicli includes a manually movable member operable by a driver to register the number of passengers on board on a given trip; an aniiunciator including a plurality ot normally inactive electric lamps corresponding in number to the number of passenger seats in a vehicle, a series of fixed contact-s iii circuit With said lamps, a movable circuit closer adapted to cooperate'with said contacts in closing the circuit through any number ot said lamps, said circuit closer being provided With spaced apart notches, a patvl movable beside the circuit closer and adapted to engage said notclies, and connections between the paivl and the said registering member adapted to reciprocate the paivl and move the circuit closer step-by-step.

4. In combination, a taXiineter Which includes a manually movable member operable by a driver to register the number ot passengers on board on a given trip; an annunciator including a plurality of normally inactive electric lamps corresponding in number to the number ot passenger seats in a vehicle, a series of fixed contacts in circuit withl said lamps, a movable circuit closer adapted to cooperate with said contacts in closing the circuit through any number of said lamps, said circuit closer being provided With spaced apart notches, a paivl movable beside the circuit closer and adapted to engage said notches, and connections between the paivl and the said registering member adapted to reciprocate the paivl and move the circuit closer step-by-step, means being provided for separating the paivl from the circuit closer during the retracting` movenient of the pavvl.

5. The combination with a registering device tor a. passenger vehicle which includes a manually movable registering member operable by the driver to register the number ot passengers entering the vehicle, an indicator comprising a plurality ot normally inactive electric signals, a series of fixed contacts in circuit With the respective signals, a contact member movable into engagement with any desired number ot lined contacts to closev the circuits through the selected ysignals, and means controlled by the movement ot said registering member to cause said movable contact member to close the circuits through signals corresponding to the number of passengers registered.

6. The combination with a taXimeter comprising a registering device, and means toi' actuating the saine, ott an indicator having a plurality ot' designations correspondingto items to be registered on said registering4 device, separate electrically controlled means for exposing to view the respective designa tions of said indicator, each comprising a circuit, a circuit breaker and closer comprising a. member having contact-s connected with the respective circuits, and a second contact member connected With said circuits and arranged to successively engage the first mentioned contacts, one ot said members being operatively connected with said registering device to cause the circuits to be closed through one or more ot said designations according to the registrations on said registering device.

7. The combination with a taXiineter comprising a registering device, and means to actuate the saine, of an indicator having a plurality of designations corresponding to items to be registered on said registering device, separate electrically controlled means ior exposing to view the respective designations of said indicator, each comprising a circuit, and means associated with said registering device for selectively controlling said circuits to expose to view a number of designations corresponding to the registra.- tions on said registering device.

n n Y 1 c 8. The combination ivitii a taxnneter comprising a registering device, and an actuating device to advance said registering device one unit upon each operation ot said actuatlou ing device, of an electrically controlled inupon the first operation of said registering dica-tor having a plurality of designations device and to cause an additional circuit to corresponding to items to be registered on be closed upon each succeeding operation of -10 said registering device, separate circuits to said registering device. control Y the respective designations, and In testimony whereof I have affixed my means controlled by said registering device signature.

to cause one of said circuits to be closed FRANK SAVVYER. 

